China comes to help Africa with aid and whole heart: Chinese premier

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh Sunday that China came to help Africa with aid and with its whole heart.

Wen made the remarks at a press conference after he laid out eight new measures to promote China-Africa cooperation earlier in the day.

China and Africa share a time-honored friendship and have helped each other, Wen told the press conference following the opening ceremony of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

China has helped Africa build about 2,200 km of roads, 3,300 km of railways and schools and hospitals, he said.

Africa, with Chinese help and through its own efforts, is developing rapidly and local people are benefiting from it, he said.

China put forward eight cooperation measures at the 2006 Beijing Summit of FOCAC.

The implementation of these measures is approaching its end and is expected to be completed by year end, Wen said.

The new eight measures are mainly aimed at helping Africa develop its capability, laying more stress on the continent's sustainable development and environmental protection, he added.

The two-day fourth FOCAC ministerial meeting opened on Sunday morning in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The Chinese premier arrived in Egypt on Friday for an official visit to the country.

Source:Xinhua